Hi again!

Thanks for all the support for this story thus far! I love reading your comments and planning out this story's path with you. Reviewing your takes on the region, I am starting to lean towards Hoen, but there's still time to set things up and plan for that.

I also loved seeing the Zigzagoon love from you. I was admittedly worried that having an unimpressive, Normal-type starter would put a lot of you off from this story, but that was always the premise I had planned. I just got sick of seeing so many pseudo legendary or otherwise "meta" starters in these stories. I always felt that people dropped into the Pokémon world would be much more likely to be forced to start simple.

Deepthoughts: I hadn't thought of running the story after the Sinnoh season, but that's an interesting thought.

Senlong & Blue: Your vote of confidence in my story means a lot. I hope it will live up to both your expectations.

SLappYNano: I can't agree with anyone calling my Tiny Raccoon Pokémon lame. I do like Galarian Zigzagoon and Linoone, but I despise Obstagoon with every fiber of my being. There are very few humanoid or anthropomorphic Pokémon that I find endearing, and Obstagoon does not make the cut. Besides, I just genuinely love base Zigzagoon and Linoone.

Anyways, this will be my first time writing a Pokémon battle, so let me know how it reads. I've only ever written fights with gore and lethal force, so this should be fun.


My first battle is against a fully evolved Pokemon when I still haven't even learned my own Pokemon's move set.

Saying it like that, it kind of sounds like I'm pretty screwed. Even though I logically know that it doesn't feel like we're going to lose. Whether it's just adrenaline, or a false sense of security after my recent success, I can only envision our victory here.

The Beedrill is wounded. A long scratch mars its abdomen: likely a parting gift from Ursaring. However, the wound isn't deep and doesn't seem to be affecting our opponent's movement in any way. Our enemy is still a fighting fit, fully evolved Pokemon.

Zigzagoon, on the other hand, shows signs of fatigue in its stance (need to remind myself to find out my partner's gender after this battle). Courageous as my new partner is, the events of today have taken their toll. Sprinting to the runt of the pack's rescue, squaring off against an entire swarm of Beedrill, protecting the pack from multiple Hyper Beams, using Extreme Speed to fight back, and finally carrying four pack mates for a half of an hour; all the activity and exertion of the day have left Zigzagoon with a sagging stance and an uneven pant, even before the battle begins.

Putting my personal feelings aside, the situation really doesn't look good. I'm sure we could net ourselves an easy win if we swamp the Beedrill with numbers and attack with the entire pack, but that feels like it would be a sign from the very start that we won't amount to anything on our own. No, if we wish to start our journey right, we need to win this on our own.

A spray of purple needles shoots from the Beedrill's mouth. Zigzagoon dodges to the side easily enough, but the attack tells me that I no longer have the luxury of wasting time thinking. We just need to fight it out.

"Alright partner," I call out. "When a trainer and a Pokemon pair up, the trainer comes up with strategies and yells out moves. The Pokemon's role is to perform those moves to win the battle." I don't really like the idea of calling out every move in battle, but it needs to be done for now. We can work more on independent battling later.

"Zig!" My partner confirms that my words were understood.

Another Poison Sting attack is fired, but Zigzagoon easily hops to the side once again. The Beedrill chitters in frustration, and I know it will be closing the distance soon. I need to think of Zigzagoon's moveset quickly. I'm certain that it knows Protect and Extreme Speed, but those take too much energy to use so early. Using them means that we will lose if we don't knock our foe out in a single hit.

"Keep dodging its attacks," I yell. "It's going to close in soon!"

The Beedrill fires another Poison Sting which is easily dodged for a third time, but something different happens this time. When Zigzagoon lands from its side hop, Beedrill is instantly upon it, having predicted my partner's dodge and blitzed the landing spot. Jab after jab rains down at the tiny raccoon Pokemon in what can only be Fury Attack.

"Zagoon!" The startled Pokemon takes the first two hits directly in the side before managing to slip under the third.

"Sand Attack right up in its face!" I need to create an opening that we can use to counterattack.

Zigzagoon swipes its front paw up and sends a stream of sand directly into the oversized insect's red eyes. The Bug-type instantly recoils, instinctively halting the rain of jabs to wipe at its eyes.

"Now, Tackle!" The little fuzz ball rockets forward and rams its shoulder into the bug's abdomen, right over the slash wound.

"Drill!" Beedrill recoils back, beginning to fly up.

"Don't give it any distance!" I yell. "Sand Attack again. Then circle around and Tackle one of the wings."

Another burst of sand in the face keeps the Bug-type Pokemon disoriented, my little scrapper then surprises me by sprinting up a tree to Tackle the Beedrill's back from a superior height.

Attacking the wing succeeds in sending both fighters spiraling down to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust, but that's perfect. A messy scrap in the dirt is our best chance of winning this. Against a more powerful Pokemon that's also in better physical condition, our only hope is to keep it disoriented.

"Drill!"

"Zagoon!"

A pair of yells ring out through the dust, one angry and one pained. When the dust thins, I can see a large insectoid silhouette standing on two legs over a smaller, spiky shape. The insect is leaning down biting into the Normal-type Pokemon. A sickly green energy looks to be formed around Beedrill's mouth. It even knows Bug Bite then.

"Shake it off with Tail Whip and get out of there Zigzagoon!" This isn't good. As a much lower leveled Pokemon, our Tackles likely haven't done much damage. That single Bug Bite will seriously hamper us though. We need a better strategy to win this one.

Zigzagoon shakes fiercely to escape the grip of its foe, slapping its fluffy tail alongside the insect's face. We get a lucky break when the spiky fur hits the bug in the eye and forces it to let go in pain. My partner immediately jumps back to the spot in front of me, gaining some distance.

Beedrill turns to look at us, silently fuming in anger, but not approaching carelessly. Our attacks may have hurt more than it's letting on. Rather, it's more likely that the lingering wound from the confrontation with Ursaring had more of an effect than I'd initially thought.

"Alright buddy, we're gonna need to close the distance again." Our foe is stronger close-up, but we have no options from range, so there's no choice but to attack head-on. "Let's weaken it with Growl first."

"Zig!" My partner yips out a confirmation.

Then the most adorable Growl ever emerges from the little creature. There's no way that was intimidating anything, but sure as shit, Beedrill's tense stance slightly loosens.

"Good! Now stay on the move," A plan begins to form. "Run circles around it and be ready to tackle on my command."

There's no way that a Pokemon that flies as often as Beedrill isn't somewhat awkward when walking, so we just need to play on that. The wounded wing means that it isn't going to be able to take off quickly. In battle, that means it's as good as grounded.

As if to confirm my guess, the Bug type is unable to rotate its body quickly enough to track Zigzagoon as it runs in circles around it. Just before my partner enters into an obvious blind spot of Beedrill's, we strike.

"Now!"

A quick dash from the blind spot bowls the lance-armed bee over with a hard tackle. As Beedrill skids across the soil on its face, I can't help but think that must have been a critical hit.

"Good! Keep circling!" As Beedrill attempts to stand up, we strike again. "Now!"

Once again, the oversized insect is sent sliding through the dirt.

"Now!"

"Now!"

Over and over, the process repeats itself. Beedrill is growing increasingly frustrated, which also increases our openings. We just need to keep chipping away at it.

This time, Beedrill is even slower to get up. Spending some time just lying there, collecting itself. When it struggles to step one leg up, I smell blood in the water.

"Now!" I call out for the finishing blow.

"Zig!" My partner dashes in.

"Gooon!" A cry of pain, more intense than I've heard all battle, is not what I was expecting to hear next. At the very least, not our cry of pain.

Right before Zigzagoon struck, Beedrill had turned and blindly spat a stream of poison over its shoulder. This unaimed attack into its own blindspot struck right on target, and now my partner is covered in purple fluid. That must have been Venoshock, so it's a good thing we found the Pecha berries. That would have hurt much worse if Zigzagoon was still poisoned.

Before I can think about what went wrong, I notice that Beedrill has gotten back up and raised its arms to strike. Zigzagoon is still shaking the fluid out of its face.

"Get out of there!" My desperate voice causes my partner's head to perk up, but it's too late.

Once, twice, four, five times; I think it's going to stop there, but the rain of blows just continues, reminding me that this isn't the game I know. Finally, after a combo of at least a dozen strikes of Fury Attack, Zigzagoon is pushed back enough of a distance that Beedrill is forced to stop. The tiny raccoon Pokemon collapses in a heap, having taken far too much damage.

It's unlikely that the brave underdog will get up on its own. I don't remember exactly when they learn it, but knowing Venoshock means that Beedrill's level is at least in the mid-20s by the game's standards. As for Zigzagoon, I'd estimate that level 10 is the absolute highest that my partner might be at. I didn't think the gap was so wide when this fight started, but even so, we've taken far too many hits now.

The Beedrill turns to me, and I turn and run. It's on its last legs, but I know that I won't survive that confrontation. I only have one chance to make it out of here, and that's by sprinting at full speed now.

I can hear the massive bee's wings fluttering, as it struggles to lift off into the air. The previous attack to the wing was my only saving grace. However, that attack was never meant to cripple it, nor does Zigzagoon have the power to do so. Soon enough, I hear the sound I had hoped not to.

BZZZT*

It's flying after me, still not at full speed, but it's picking up the pace every second. It will quickly catch up.

Once the buzzing noise is halfway to me, I reach my destination. Without minding the fearsome inhabitants of the tree, I rip a yellow fruit off the Sitrus tree. In one motion, I turn and throw it so it lands right in front of my prone partner.

"PARTNER!" I scream out, loud enough to wake the dead, or in this case, the nearly dead. "I still need you!"

BZZZT*

The Beedrill is closer than ever now. Less than ten feet away.

Am I truly going to die the day I arrive in my dream world? How lame can I get?

I look over at the Zigzagoon pack; huddled together and watching me with wide brown eyes. Together, they will be able to fight off a Beedrill that's on its last legs. At least they will survive. I suppose that making sure that happened meant that even my short time here wasn't lame at all.

BZZZT*

The Beedrill is less than five feet away. A single lance-arm is pointed out, ready to skewer me.

No!

No, I won't die here!

I have faith. Faith in my fate, and more importantly, faith in my partner.

The lance is a mere foot away from my face.

The guardian of the pack won't let anyone die. I've seen that already.

"EXTREME SPEED!" As the words scream out of my throat, the tip of the Beedrill's lance reaches a mere couple of inches before my forehead. Then it's gone. Quicker than my eyes can react, the Beedrill disappears from my vision.

One instant, death loomed overhead; the next, nothing.

I first look to where Zigzagoon had collapsed. Nothing but a yellow fruit with a single bite taken out of it. I then strafe my eyes about the clearing, attempting to find the action. Only when my head turns all the way to the opposite side of the clearing as the partially eaten fruit do I see the result of my partner's ultimate move.

The three-foot tall Beedrill lies collapsed in a heap at the base of a Cheri tree. My proud partner stands tall, though on wobbly legs, next to its fallen form.

"We won," A disbelieving whisper escapes me. "We really won."

"Zig" My partner's ears perk up, its head turning to look at me.

"We did it!" I cheer out in joy. "You did it Zigzagoon!" The surging emotions in my head barely allow me to think straight. "Are you kidding me?! You're the freakin' BEST!"

Zigzagoon puffs up in pride and gets this happy little grin on its face. However, one step towards me results in its little legs collapsing. Too exhausted to move, the victor of our vicious struggle lays on the ground with a tongue hanging out. Adorable, even in the wake of a grueling battle.

The sheer elation and excitement I'm feeling is electric. It's infectious to the point of being dangerous. As an athlete who has competed at the highest levels, I thought I was no stranger to the adrenaline rush that comes with winning. I thought battling would be no different, but I couldn't have been more wrong. This ecstasy is something else entirely.

It's not just a sport, nor is it a simple victory. My bond with my partner was put to the test, and that bond pushed us both to greater heights. If everyone feels this, it makes sense that battles dominate the entertainment scene in this world. Now that I've felt this, there's truly no other choice for me than to chase the rush of greater and greater victories on larger and grander stages.

To think that all of this was only a wild battle! If a wild Pokémon can fight this fiercely and counter our strategies to such a degree, how much more intense will a high-level trainer battle be?

"Pinsir" A threatening hiss sounds out from behind me.

I turn to see the Pinsir nearest to the fruit I took giving me the stink eye, apparently no longer tolerant of my presence now that the battle has been settled.

"Thank you, Pinsir, for allowing us to have one of your fruits." I give a slight bow of appreciation for the fact that it hadn't killed me itself when I stole its food. "We would have certainly died without it."

"Pin"

The nightmare-fuel Bug type nods once towards my fallen partner in what seems to be slight respect. It then jerks its head away, clearly motioning me to leave its feeding area.

Not willing to wait around and test the nightmare bug's patience, I start off in a jog toward Zigzagoon. Only to hit a U-turn to go scoop up the rest of the Sitrus berry first. Curiosity gets the best of me along the way to my partner, and I take a slight nibble.

The explosion of energy that surges through my body is a hundred times more potent than any energy drink I've ever had. However, the energy surge soon recedes. In its place, my muscle soreness is further reduced, even from less than a single bite. The sour taste is also to my liking, but I can already imagine how effective eating the entire berry would be, so I hustle my pace towards the one who should really be eating this.

"Zigzag"

The tiny raccoon Pokémon rolls to its back, swishes its tail and sends a happy greeting my way when I arrive.

"Looking real fierce there champ." I grin at its antics. "Here you go, gourmet dining for the winner." I drop to a knee and present the berry with two hands as if it were a trophy. "To our first victory and the first step on the path to the top!"

"Zig!" A happy yip tells me that the edible trophy was appreciated.

Zigzagoon opens its mouth to take a bite, then pauses. It rolls the berry around, sniffing the entire thing. I wonder what's going on all the way until its nose reaches the spot where I took my nibble. So that's what this is about then.

"Zagoon!" The look of utter betrayal I receive is disproportionately dramatic when compared to the size of my bite.

My brave and courageous partner doesn't seem to be big on the concept of sharing. I wonder for a moment if its ability is Gluttony.

"Zag!" But apparently, the outraged little thing won't give me that moment.

"What?" I spread my arms out in a helpless gesture. "I was curious what it tasted like. Honestly, I think I've contributed enough today to have earned a bite even larger than I took."

"Zigzagoon!" I don't speak Pokémon, but that was a clear 'you wouldn't dare'.

"You gonna eat it or not?" I raise an eyebrow at the miniature ball of condensed fury.

A dismissive "Zig" is the response I get, followed by the sounds of loud, open-mouthed chewing.

"By the way," I sit on my butt, lean back, and turn my head to the mini glutton. It's time to embrace my inner Professor Oak. "I've been wondering for a while now, but are you a boy or a girl?"

Zigzagoon breaks into a fit of coughs and sends a spray of the precious berry chunks flying. Those take priority, and are quickly licked back up from the ground. Only when all traces of the berry are consumed does a little head whip around to face me. A new wave of rekindled outrage fumes behind those adorable brown eyes.

"Zagoon zag zigzagoon!" The incoherent chattering commences and the Pokémon looks to be mere moments away from lunging at my throat.

"Sorry, I'm sorry!" I throw my hands up in mock surrender. "I just can't tell by looking. You see, I'm the first human you've seen right?" A reluctant nod. "So you probably can't tell what gender I am, can you?"

"Zig zigzag!" A defiant shake of the head. "Zigzagoon." The fuzz ball then points to my crotch.

"Huh, you can tell." I put my hands down. "Well, I can't, but the way you get so angry over sharing food makes me think of a hungry lady, so I'm going to guess you're a girl. Am I right?" I put on a provoking grin, knowing the effect that this bout of teasing will have, whether I'm right or wrong.

"Zag!"My feisty new partner shakes his head angrily. "Zagoon!" He then pounces on me with a tackle hard enough to knock the wind out of my lungs.

"Oh…hah…okay! Okay!" I wheeze out as I get my breath back, still grappling with the little terror. "You're a strong and brave boy Zigzagoon. Duly noted. Now cut it out before you kill me bud."

"Zigzagoon." He dismisses my complaints and instead decides to curl up and lay down on my chest, positioned such that our eyes can easily meet.

"Well then, brave sir Zigzagoon, my dashing new partner, my name is Reid Redwood. I plan on becoming the greatest trainer in the world, in history even. I'm also your new trainer. If you'll have me."

"Zigzag!" Excited once again, Zigzagoon yips happily and wiggles around on my chest.

"In that case," I smile back. "You now know my name. The next order of business is to find out what your name is."

"Zig?" His head tilts and he puts a single paw on his own chest. "Zigzagoon"

"Yep, you're a Zigzagoon." I bob my head in agreement, prompting the cutie to nod along sagely. "But that's not your name."

"Zagoon?" His smug face falls to a look of confusion.

"That's what your species is called," I begin my explanation of the concept of names. "Names are more special than that. Like you're a Zigzagoon, I'm a human. However, when I rise to the top of the world, people will know me as Reid Redwood, the strongest champion. I'll be more than just any old human, Pokémon trainer. Names have power. By making you into someone unique, they give weight to your existence. Instead of simply being known as a powerful Linoone," The fuzzy fellow perks up at the thought of reaching his evolved form. "You will be 'who,' the untouchable speedster champion. That is what we're trying to find out."

"Zig! Zigzagoon!" Having grasped the idea, my partner is practically vibrating with excitement.

"Exactly!" I snap and point my finger at him, flashing a cheesy grin. "So now we need to find you a name that will inspire awe and fear for generations!"

Zigzagoon's excitement can no longer be contained, and he hops off my chest, bounding circles around me in happy leaps.

"Now," I clap my hands to get his attention, halting his bouncing. "I've got some ideas, but the choice is ultimately yours. After all, it is your name."

"Zig! Zigzag!"

"The way I see it," I start off, thinking of the few names that have resonated with me towards the courageous guardian of the pack. "We have two routes we can take. We can name you for your speed, which will likely be a defining trait of yours throughout your battles, or we can name you after your character."

I get no response to this other than more the pleasure of being able to watch my tiny raccoon creature do some happy little stompies with his stubby legs.

"On the speedster side, we could go with Silver or Levi. Those are both the names of heroic warriors who were too fast for their enemies to keep up with their attacks." I watch for a reaction, and don't see much beyond his usual excitement. "But I think it would be better to name you for your brave character. Maybe something like Guts for your willingness to fight back against impossible odds. Maybe not, it doesn't quite fit. How about…"

There was an idea blossoming. A vision of a small Pokémon, overlooked by all as a common nuisance, rather than a competitive battler. In this vision, that diminutive creature, underestimated by all, takes the field as a titan. His presence on the field is an insurmountable wall, blocking the very concept of victory out of his opponents' sight. He would take to the battlefield as a…

"Goliath," I slowly sound out the name, as if feeling out the idea. "It's a name you will need to work your way up to owning, but when we reach the top, you will need to be the unstoppable Goliath of the team. You have no choice but to become that powerful if you want to be the ace of my team."

"Zig! Zigzagoon!" His fluffy ears perk up at the name, and the idea of becoming an unstoppable force gets his tail wagging.

"I'm going to be honest with you here," I think it's best to warn my excitable partner of what's to come. "Most of the opponents we meet are probably going to look down on you." His eyes widen in shock. "I know, it's stupid, but most trainers think of Zigzagoon as a weak species, unsuited to serious battling. Even when you win, others will consider it an underdog story. That's where the name Goliath comes from."

Zigzagoon finally stops moving. He now sits in front of me, hanging on to my words. It would seem that the idea of being underestimated is one that he dislikes quite a bit. Good.

"The name Goliath will be one that spits in the face of those who underestimate you." Once again, a cheesy smirk finds its way to my face. "Goliath comes from one of those underdog stories. He was the champion of an ancient people who was feared as their pillar of strength. In the story, a weak and small man named David defeated him in a storybook underdog comeback."

"Zag! Zagoon!" Zigzagoon, who had been listening intently, shows some displeasure at being named after someone who lost.

"I know, he lost," I shrug my shoulders. "Did you think David would be a more fitting name?"

My partner thinks for a moment, then slowly nods, uncertain.

"That's definitely how others will think of you, at least at the start of our journey." I nod along. "But consider this; do you want to always be thought of as the weaker Pokémon in your fights?"

That gets to him. Zigzagoon's fur stands on end and his face turns into a frown even more pronounced than when he noticed that I stole a bite from his berry. I've already realized it, but my partner's pride dwarfs his physical size.

"Goliath was a symbol of both the faith his people had in him and the loss of hope for their enemies when he arrived. It's true that he lost to a much weaker opponent, but let that serve as a reminder to never grow complacent, even when your opponent is as harmless as a newly hatched Caterpie."

I can see his interest rising. I mean that literally too, as his tail has begun to swish back and forth.

"My hope, no, my vision for the future, is that you will become the symbol of victory that our team rallies behind." My smile turns into one of pure happiness and pride. "As the guardian of your pack, I've already seen a glimpse of what that future might look like. So what do you say? Will you be the little Goliath of our team?"

"Zigzagoon! Zig! Zigzagoon!" The newly dubbed Goliath yips with joy and chases his tail. I can feel the intimidation already!

"Great!" I clap my hands together. "Then it's nice to meet you, Goliath. Unfortunately, since you haven't quite proven yourself to be a symbol of power yet, you're Goly for now." An evil grin takes over my previously kindly smile.

"Zag! Zagoon!" Goly's cheery disposition is replaced with the burning rage of betrayal.

"Sorry Goly," I turn to walk away. "Them's the rules. Don't like that? Prove yourself. I'll call you Goliath when you've earned it."

I begin to walk back to the other side of the clearing, away from the feisty yipping behind me. Although…

Other than my noisy friend, the clearing is awfully quiet right now. In fact, it's dead silent. Not a single sign of the vibrant and lively atmosphere from before remains.

A rustling in the bushes all the way across the clearing, demands my attention.

Head held high in arrogance, Ursaring lumbers into the clearing.


Reid Redwood

Badges: 0

Pokémon: 0

Companions:

Goliath (Goly)

Zigzagoon

Moves:

Extreme Speed

Protect

Tickle

Growl

Sand Attack

Tail Whip

Tackle

Covet